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Here are some more photographs taken with another vintage Pentax camera that I purchased of ebay on the 15th July 2012. The Pentax Spotmatic takes M42 screw-thread lenses and was introduced by Asahi in 1964, it was the first SLR camera to sell well with a through-the-lens (TTL) exposure metering system. The light meter is activated by pushing a small switch (which is on the left side of the lens housing) upwards.

This was a really good find being considerably clean and worked straight away when I put a new battery in it. All the shutter speeds work correctly, the self timer works and the viewfinder is clear. The photographs above were taken using an out of date (March 2000) Agfacolor HDC 200 35mm film.

I have only recently acquired this camera but I have had a great time using it.

The Pentax P30, 35mm film camera weighs about 510 grams and is therefore easy to carry and handle.

Pentax P30 has shutter speeds from 1/1000 of a second to 1 second. The automatic mode on this film camera chooses the best shutter speed and aperture setting.

The Pentax P30, 35mm film camera has a semi-automatic mode, which chooses most of the settings but allows for more creativity.

This is the camera I took to Lanzarote – I even managed to drop it onto a tiled floor without damaging it – I wouldn’t try that with my Pentax K-01 digital camera! The image below was taken with the P30 (no 3702885).

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Here are a few more images that accidently got solorised in the darkroom.

Some of those above look like they have been created by a pinhole camera. The one below was…

The pinhole camera used to take this photograph in Havanna in 1999 was handmade by the photographer(?) for the purpose of taking photos of tourists. In its simplest form, the photographic pinhole camera consists of a light-tight box with a pinhole in one end, and a piece of film or photographic paper wedged or taped into the other end. A flap of cardboard with a tape hinge can be used as a shutter. The pinhole is usually punched or drilled using a sewing needle or small diameter bit through a piece of tinfoil or thin aluminum or brass sheet. This piece is then taped to the inside of the light tight box behind a hole cut through the box. A cardboard box can be made into an excellent pinhole camera.

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These images taken of Woolacombe were done using a Pentax SP1000 35mm camera. This camera was my father’s, who bought it from new in the 1970s. All Pentax Spotmatics (SP) use the M42 screw-thread lens mount. The lenses are focused at maximum aperture to give a bright viewfinder image for focusing, then a switch at the side stops the lens down and switches on the metering to enable the exposure to be set prior to shutter release.

I’m really getting into lens flare which is usually caused by a very bright light source, either affecting the image or shining into the lens, which produces a haze. I also like the slightly over cooked vintage feel of these images, scrathes, dust, and fibre strands -35mm film is far more fun than digital.

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The Pentax P30 is an SLR and uses manual focus lenses with the K-mount bayonet fitting.

I shot a roll of film on an old Pentax P30. The results were not as satisfying as those taken with the Pentax SP500. I couldn’t seem to get the quality.

The Pentax P30 is an SLR and uses manual focus lenses with the K-mount bayonet fitting. The original lens had a small button on it which turned it into an automatic camera, the light meter flashed options in the view finder. At about 510 grams, the camera is lightweight, with shutter speeds from 1/1000 of a second to 1 second. The automatic mode on this film camera chooses the best shutter speed and aperture setting to give the novice photographer (me) the best possible chance of taking a good photo. It also has a semi-automatic mode as well, which chooses most of the settings but allows for more creativity. There is also a totally manual setting for the brave.

I have just bought and received via eBay a Pentax SP500 camera. I put a new battery into it and the internal light meter worked straight away. Unlike the Pentax K1000 you need to switch the light meter on using a switch on the camera body … Continue reading ?